Chuck vs The Stalkers
by kmr2009
Summary: Chuck and Ellie are both being stalked by two different people. Who are they and what do they want? Team B has to face possible exposure of Chuck's secret while the Ring begins to close in. Sequel to Chuck vs. The Sick Girlfriend. Please R
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is second story of a series I am hoping to write. The first was _Chuck vs. The Sick Girlfriend_. If you haven't read it, please do. You can probably read this one without it but somethings might not make sense otherwise. The drama will pick up in this story. It will probably be about the same length as the last story. I am also going to be trying to write a prequel story dealing with Team's adventure at Comic Con. Hopefully I can pull it off. Well hopefully you will continue to like the story. So please read and review. All thoughts are welcome. Thanks.

Spoilers: everything through 3x15 Chuck vs the Role Model and the first fic _Chuck vs the Sick Girlfriend_

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck.

**Chapter 1: Stalkers Revealed**

Maybe he's just being paranoid but he feels like he is being followed. This is not something new though. Chuck has been feeling like this for days now. He had tried to look around to see if could catch someone but every time he looked no one was there. At least he didn't see anyone. He just can't shake this feeling. He wanted to talk to Casey and Sarah about this but he didn't want to come off as paranoid. They were just starting to see and respect him as a real spy. He needed to come to them with more than a bad feeling. Plus there were personal reasons for not wanting to talk to them, at least not yet.

Casey seemed to be finding more and more things to be mad at him for everyday. He still hadn't gotten over Chuck and Sarah having sex in the Vic. Now Ellie's intervention attempt and the revelation of everything that Chuck and Sarah had been saying about Casey had made Casey even madder. Chuck didn't even think that was possible. Casey might have gotten over the whole sex in the Vic incident. Hell, he rarely ever mentions the Vic that Chuck blew up anymore. However, this intervention incident wasn't going to be so easy for Casey to forgive. Problem was that Casey hated the fact that he had to go along with the whole intervention. They had painted him in a corner that Casey couldn't get out of. His only way out would be Ellie learning the truth about Chuck. Chuck felt bad for Casey because he knew his sister was going to give a hundred percent in trying to help Casey. Chuck had caught her stopping by Casey's apartment to give him pamphlets. Of course, he would later find those same pamphlets on his bed looking like Casey had used them for target practice. Really that's not the real reason, Chuck hates the thought of Casey doubting his abilities as a spy. Casey may be angry with him but Chuck never doubts that Casey trusts him on a mission. Chuck is proud of that. He has seen Casey interact with other agents. Casey doesn't trust many if any so Chuck doesn't want to lose his trust. He doesn't want to give Casey a reason for doubting him now.

Sarah was a different matter. Their relationship was doing well. She told him that she loved him. Chuck is still on cloud nine because of that. He will never get tired of hearing her say that, which she is saying now more freely. Hearing the words had eased so much of the doubt that Chuck had been feeling. She loved him. He loved her. Yes, there were still other things that they had to discuss, mainly Shaw, but he knew where they stood with each other. The rest would take time but they would be able to figure it out together. Of course, she was feeling better physically and she definitely was trying to make up for lost time. He doesn't believe that they could have had that much sex in the time she was sick but she keeps reminding him that she was right before and she's right now. Sarah had been saying that sex while she was sick wouldn't be bad for her but might be good. To Chuck that was just crazy logic. However, they put that theory to the test when he started to feel sick. She had first been furious but then became very aggressive. An aggressive Sarah Walker is unbelievably sexy. Yes, Sarah is sexy all the time but it goes up another notch when she becomes aggressive. Then there was the fact that she was wearing the Wienerlicious outfit with no underwear. He made a futile protest but he knew he wouldn't deny her. Then when he woke up without even the hint of a sniffle, she took that as a sign that she was right and she wouldn't let him hear the end of it. He didn't mind though. It was cute seeing her like this. She was so reserved around people that seeing her so unguarded was amazing. Problem was that if he told her about this, she would become his protector and no longer his partner or his lover, his equal. It was still an undeniable fact of their relationship: part of Sarah would always see him as an asset to protect. He didn't want her to be his protector but if she thought he was in danger, she would no matter what. Hell, the woman shot his sister with a tranq dart and drove through L.A. traffic while heavily medicated to try to protect him.

He needed to handle this on his own for the moment. He continued walking down the street to get to the Nerd Herder. He tried to quiet his mind and listen. He slowed his walk down a little. He focused himself on his surroundings and that's when he heard it. It was a footstep. He stopped and so did the person behind him. He took a few more steps and could hear corresponding footsteps. He took a look at his surroundings and allowed the Intersect to take over.

Before he even knew what was really happening, his body started to move. He flashed on some sort of gymnastic maneuvers because he ended up doing a couple of flips and other maneuvers that he isn't sure his body should be able to do. Somehow he ends up behind where he had heard the footsteps last. He saw a figure in front of him but his focus was off. The flips must have left him dizzy or something which was weird. He didn't remember other flashes doing that to him. This isn't good as his stalker ends up kicking him the gut and following up with right to the face. Chuck is on the ground and his stalker tries to get away. Chuck is able to trip them.

"Ow!" There comes a distinctly female cry. Chuck gets up and to get a look at the woman. What he finds surprises him.

"You!" The moment of surprise costs him as the woman kicks him in the groin and follows up with a kick to the head. Chuck is down on the ground. He hears running.

"Oh god. Figures the kid of John Casey would know how to fight. Ow!" His wounded body and pride try to get up. He has to find Casey.

* * *

She can't stop feeling like this. She feels that someone is watching her. It has been something she has been feeling for the last few days. She wants to tell someone but she doesn't know who she could tell. So Eleanor Bartowski is trying to ignore this feeling. She feels paranoid. Why would someone be stalking her?

She couldn't talk to her brother. She loved him but there was nothing that he could really do to help her. Besides he had his own issues he needed to deal with. She was doing her best to not interfere but she can't help feel like she needs to say something to him. He and Sarah have finally seemed to have gotten things worked out. They seem different this go around, more serious. Ellie is almost giddy watching them sometimes. She has to remind herself not to overdue her enthusiasm. Sometimes she can't help it. They are so in love. She doesn't know what happened but it is like some wall was dropped between them. She had wondered what was wrong previously but now she has seen them really committed. It does make her wonder what happened before. Why is this time different? There is a level of intimacy between them that never existed before. Ellie has learned it's better to knock before entering the apartment or their bedroom. She is amazed how often she seems to catch them in act, right before or after the act. She is beginning to wonder if Sarah is ever clothed in the apartment. Also she wants to know Sarah's secret because there is like no tan lines what so ever. Okay that's getting a little off track but Ellie does want to talk to Chuck about their relationship. If they are getting serious, then Chuck needs to get serious about a career. The Buy More job has gone on way too long. If Chuck and Sarah are going to start a life together then Chuck needs a real job that can support him and with any luck a big family.

Then again there is also Sarah. The girl works at a yogurt shop yet she drives a fancier car than Ellie does. Ellie's salary as a doctor really wouldn't cover a car like that. She wants to ask Sarah about this but Sarah seems to be so guarded. Ellie usually tried to ignore this because of how happy she makes Chuck. However, after Sarah's little breakdown, Ellie has been looking at everything again. Ellie wishes she wasn't having these nagging thoughts but she wants things to be perfect for Chuck. What could be so bad that Sarah believes that Chuck and Ellie would hate her if they found out? What secrets does Sarah have? Is that what caused these previous break ups? Are these issues now settled or could they still come back? Damn it, Ellie doesn't want to have these thoughts. She wants to ignore these doubts and she will. Chuck is happy that's all that matters and that's why Ellie would not tell him about this feeling that she is being stalked.

Morgan, no.

She even thinks of asking John Casey but that's not an option. It's a shame. When she first met John, he seemed like he would be a good influence on Chuck. Sure, he was a bit old to be working at a Buy More but he seemed more mature and different. Hell, he dressed in a fancy suit when she invited him to Thanksgiving that first year he was in town. He had come into town the same time that Sarah came into Chuck's life as well. Damn it. Stop thinking these thoughts! No, John couldn't be someone she could talk to. He had his own issues. His own very disturbing issues. She was doing her best to help and get through to him. He had taken the intervention really well. He even accepted all the pamphlets that she was giving him. She hadn't seen him going out late at night or coming in late so that's a good sign. Hopefully, he was getting the help he needed, but even that seemed weird. Sure everyone was telling her all these things about John but they just didn't add up in her mind. John came off as a bit scary sometimes with other people yet was always a proper gentleman around her. He seemed sad in a way but stoic. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who drank to such excess. John as some kind of sleazy sex fiend didn't seem possible. Hell, she had never seen him look improperly at a woman. He always looked her in the eyes which she found most men didn't do especially in some of her tops. However, John never did. He didn't look at Sarah the way that other guys did. Even Devon would give Sarah a once over when he thought Ellie wasn't looking. Where does that leave her? Is everyone around her lying or did she really misjudge John that much?

That leaves Devon. She wishes she could talk to him but she can't. Something has been off with their marriage for a while now. She doesn't know when it happened but there is a rift between them. There are times when the rift doesn't seem that large while other times it is like the ocean. Yet it is always there. She feels it more and more. Devon is hiding something. He has been for a long time. She has tried to ignore it but she can't. She sees it in his eyes all the time. She doesn't understand what he could be hiding. If it was any of her previous lovers, she would have believed that he was cheating on her but she can never see Devon cheating. His every action proves his devotion to her. He takes care of her in ways no one has ever done before. She has had other relationships where jewelry, fancy dinners and spa trips were their ideas of romance. They would do these grand gestures to score points with her but that was it. Devon is different. He doesn't just do these big gestures. He does a hundred little things every day to show how much he loves her. No, she would never doubt his love for her. It leaves her confused. It also makes her weary of going to him with her problem.

No, she is going to keep this to herself. She is decides that she needs to focus on her job right now. She is thrilled that she was able to go back to work. However, she will have to wait to see if she can get her fellowship back. Right now, the hospital is having her do odd shifts/mop up work. Now she is working the ER. She really can't stop this feeling. Even in the ER, she has been feeling like someone has been watching her. She has to ignore this. She picks up a chart and goes to see the next patient. She is looking at the chart when she draws back the curtain.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Bartowski-Woodcomb. How can I help you, Mr.? … Justin! What are you doing here?"

"Hi Ellie." Justin holds up his hand which has blood dripping down. He gives her a friendly smile. "I cut my hand. How are you doing?"

* * *

Chuck limps into the Buy More and automatically looks around for Casey. Oh, hell. He is standing at the Nerd Herd desk with Sarah. Chuck was supposed to have met her earlier. She had wanted to go out on a date instead of just staying in the apartment. He can see that she is wearing a simple black dress that fits her just perfectly. While the dress is simple, she looks unbelievable. It shows off her curves in the best ways. He wishes he would be able to have a date with her tonight. That's going to have to wait. Once he tells them what happened, Sarah is probably going to be mad. Of course, after the kick to the groin earlier, he doubts he would have been able to go on a date anyway. Right now though she has seen him and he sees the look of concern just increases tenfold. Casey also looks worried. He finally makes it over to the station. Sarah grabs him and begins to run her hands over his face. She gently runs her hand over the black eye that he has.

"Chuck, what happened? Were you attacked? Why didn't you call us? Do you…."

"Sarah, please calm down. I came here because I need to talk to Casey." Sarah looks hurt by this. Chuck wishes he could have said this better. He will have to deal with this later. Talking to Casey is what's important. "Casey, there is someone following me the last few days. I confronted them today and you won't believe who it was."

"Alex?" Chuck is surprised by the correct guess. However, he now realizes that Casey isn't looking at him. He is looking behind him. Chuck turns around to see Alex walking towards the three agents. She is finally in front of them. She looks around to make sure no one else is listening.

"Who are you people? What did you want with my mother?"

Chuck hears Casey mumble under his breath.

"Oh Chuck me."


	2. Chapter 2

AN: First off, I would like to thank **mxpw** for being kind enough to beta my writing. Hopefully this chapter is a lot more concise and has less errors. This chapter is told partly from the POV of Justin. I liked the character as a bad guy on the show so in my series he does play a bigger part. We learn more of his back story in this. There are a couple of other points about him that are barely pointed out in this chapter but will get expanded later on. On the Alex front, this is only a first step with her character. There is some Chuck and Sarah angst this chapter but it will get resolved quickly. Once again thanks for all that are reading this and to those who are reviewing.

Spoilers: Everything through vs Role Models 3x15

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

**Chapter 2: Simple Little Lies**

He stared at her cleaning his wound. He had made sure that the wound was deep enough to need stitches but did no real damage. As he watched her, he kept thinking that she really was breathtakingly beautiful. Part of him almost wished that his mission did involve seducing her. However, that wasn't what the mission called for. He needed to gain her trust while causing her to doubt those around her. Once he did that, the rest of the plan would be a breeze. However, Justin knew that creating doubt would be the first and most important part.

"How did this happen?" Justin is roused from his musings by Ellie's question. He saw the look of concern in her eyes. It surprised him. He had forgotten that there were people out there who were genuinely caring.

"Had an accident with a kitchen knife. I really have to stop trying to be like those Iron Chefs. Of course, now it seems like a bit of luck. I have been wondering about Devon and you. Are the two of you okay?"

"Yes, we're fine. Devon is pretty much at tip-top shape. You would never believe that he was sick. Of course, he is upset that he couldn't stay longer. I am too. Is that why you are back here? Are you sick?"

"No, nothing wrong with me a couple of stitches can't fix. I'm just here to speak to some different organizations about funding and donations."

"Oh, well, I must say it is really surprising to see you here."

He looked at her and saw the thought behind that statement. She was observing him, trying to find out his intentions. She was suspicious. He had thought about lying completely, but if she doubted him, it would ruin his plans. Usually it went against his better judgment but he decided to tell her the truth; part of it at least.

"Actually I was hoping to see you…and Devon. I have to admit, that despite the shortness of your stay in Africa, I haven't been able to stop thinking of you." He saw the surprise in Ellie's eyes. He needed to tread carefully. "You and your husband volunteering to go to Africa was surprising. From what I learned about you two, Devon was one of the up and coming cardiothoracic surgeons in the city while you were the recipient of one of the most prestigious neurological fellowships in the country. The two of you gave all that up, along with your friends and family to volunteer in a Third World country. I don't know many people like you two. I have to admit I was curious to see if you two were as amazing as you seem."

He gave her his warmest smile. He hoped it was convincing. He hadn't had to play the role of a good guy for a long time. He hadn't been a good guy for even longer. Fulcrum and the Ring had no use for good guys. He must have been better at it then he remembered because she smiled a nice friendly smile. It's a good start.

"We are not that amazing. We just felt that it was at the right time to do something like joining Doctors Without Borders. It wasn't that big of a sacrifice."

"Oh I think you are underestimating yourself. I mean, how did you decide to join?"

"It was actually Devon's idea. He really pushed for it."

He saw it. There was something behind her eyes that was wondering the same thing. She already had some doubts. He just needed to exploit them.

"Wow, what made him decide? Had he shown any interest before?"

"Well, no… I don't think… I'm not sure."

He was right; she already had doubts. It made things so much easier. Justin was smart enough not to push it. He just needed to keep adding doubt little by little.

"Well, I'm glad. We need more people like you and your husband. I'm sorry you couldn't stay longer. I think the two of you could have done a lot more good work out there."

She smiled shyly. It was almost endearing. However, Justin cleared his mind of those thoughts.

"Thank you. I think we are all done here."

Justin looked down to see that she had finished cleaning up the wound and stitched it up.

"You are good. I didn't feel a thing." He stood up and prepared to leave. He had to play this perfectly. "Well, it was good to see you again, Ellie. I wish you and Devon the best of luck."

"Thank you, Justin." She seemed to be thinking about something. Justin hoped it was what he was thinking. "How long are going to be in town?"

"At least the rest of the week, it depends on how everything goes."

"Well, tomorrow night, my brother's best friend is having a Cinco De Mayo party at our apartments. Devon should be there. He would love to see you again and you can meet my brother."

"I would like that a lot."

He smiled at her again and got an even brighter smile in return. She wrote down the address to her apartment. He accepted it even though it was unnecessary. They departed on pleasant terms. He had what he wanted. With the CIA's Intersect there, it could be tricky but he had been in tighter situations.

He left the hospital formulating his plan for tomorrow. There was a part of him that felt something unfamiliar: guilt. If he thought about it he knew where it came from. He once had a sister that he loved. They came from parents who were spies themselves. They were one of the original founders of Fulcrum. He remembers what it was to be Charles Bartowski.

His mother was killed on a rogue mission that went wrong. She was trying to gain access to the information on Orion's identity, but the foreign agent she was meeting betrayed her. Justin was still a kid at the time, but he remembered wanting vengeance. His father told them that their goal was to survive, not revenge. By surviving, they could accumulate power. Once they accumulated the power they needed, then they would get their revenge. Patience was always the key. Of course, his father never lived to see it through. His father had died the year before during the Ring's purge of Fulcrum. Justin would have joined his father but he had found the key to survival. The Ring needed him and that kept him alive.

The death of his sister was the event that truly changed him. She had been asked by Fulcrum to burn one of the up and coming CIA agents. However, she fell in love with him and married him instead. She even turned herself in to Langston Graham, and he actually gave her a second chance as long as she helped with taking down the Ring. Unfortunately, Graham never knew the extent of the Ring's infiltration of the CIA. The Ring knew about his sister's betrayal and set up her murder.

Daniel never knew the truth about Evelyn because Graham covered for her. Daniel blamed Sarah Walker for Eve's death. Justin did not. He knew the truth. He would follow what his father had told him. He would wait. He would gain power. Then the Ring and the CIA would pay. He would win. He would get his vengeance.

Yet, he still felt guilty that he had to destroy another man's sister. However, his desire for vengeance outweighed his guilt. Without it, what would he have left?

* * *

Chuck was standing in the Buy More theater room in what might have been the most awkward situation possible. Luckily, Chuck was able into talk Alex to joining them in the theatre room. They have spent the last two minutes just staring. Chuck looked to the other three people in the room and saw very different emotions.

Well, with Sarah it was actually a lack of emotion. Her expression was cool and reserved. Any concern she had for him appeared to have gone away. Chuck was concerned about this. She hadn't met his eyes the whole time. He knew something was bothering her and it had to do with him. He wasn't quite sure what it was but he was pretty sure that she was going to be even angrier with him after this discussion.

Alex was fidgeting. She kept moving her eyes to each one of the three agents. Chuck could see her nervousness. He could tell she hadn't planned this. Coming to the Buy More was a spur of the moment decision. Now, she was probably wondering if she had made a mistake.

Casey was focusing all his attention on Alex without looking at her directly, which seemed almost impossible. This was John Casey so it was possible. He was staring at the ground but Chuck could see that he was keeping her in his peripheral vision. What really surprised Chuck was the nervousness rolling off of Casey. To the untrained eye, Casey looked normal but Chuck could see it. He was actually swaying a bit. Casey usually always stayed perfectly still. Chuck could be mistaken but he could have sworn he saw Casey grimace. He was clearly trying to stay quiet, and the quietness was starting to get to Chuck.

"So…?"

Casey turned his gaze from Chuck to Alex, who was still quiet. Of course, they would both be stubborn, neither wanting to say the first word. It looked like it would be more awkward silence, but Sarah, of all people, spoke up.

"So would someone explain to me why my boyfriend is bruised and walking with a limp?"

Now Chuck was the one who wanted to remain quiet. However, it seemed Sarah's question was enough to get Alex to open up.

"I was only defending myself. Who are you people? I come home one day to find my mother attacked and the three of you standing in the living room. There was no explanation. Then a few days ago, I am at a friend's house and out the window I see you." She pointed at Chuck. "You were at a neighbor's house in your work uniform. I followed you back here and what do I see? Big guy here, stocking shelves, all the while, Blondie is across the parking lot in the yogurt store with the weirdest hours. I almost convinced myself that I was just imagining that you were the people in my house that day, but then tonight this guy does moves that no simple Nerd Herder could do. So, once again, who are you people?"

Chuck felt all three sets of eyes looking at him and waiting for answers.

"There is nothing unusual about us. We happened to be in the neighborhood and saw your mother was in trouble. We tried to help, that's all."

Chuck tried to give her his most sincere smile. Apparently it was not that convincing.

"You're lying. My mother said that you came by as part of the gas company. She said you tried to get her out of the house before those other guys came by and attacked her. You knew something was going down. Somehow, I doubt your average Nerd Herder is in tune with the criminal elements. Plus, there are the looks the three of you are giving each other. You are hiding something. I want to know who was after my mother. Is she safe now or could there still be people after her?"

Chuck looked over at Casey. He felt a distinct wave of pride coming from Casey. His daughter was tough and smart. She also walked into a situation that could have been dangerous in order to protect her mother. Even without ever being a part of her life, she really was the daughter of John Casey. Chuck knew that this meant she would be determined to find out the truth. He had to do something now.

"Alright guys, I think we need to tell Alex the truth."

Casey and Sarah looked like they wanted to object. Chuck gave them a look hoping it conveyed his desire for them to trust him.

"We were there because of your father." Now he could tell they definitely wanted to object. However, he saw that he had caught Alex's attention. "This is about the last mission of Alex Coburn."

"Chuck…" Both Casey and Sarah said his name out loud, but Alex interrupted them.

"No, don't stop, I want to hear this. Please tell me the truth. What does this have to do with my father? He's been dead since before I was born."

Casey and Sarah are both giving him glares to shut up, but he knew this was the best way out at this point.

"You're right. We knew what was going to happen to your mother. We can't tell you the whole truth, but suffice it to say we work for the government. Your father had been recruited for a special mission by a man who turned out to be a bad guy. He wanted to use your mother as leverage to get my partner, John Casey, to do something illegal."

"Why would he use my mother? What does," Alex paused and pointed at Casey, "he have to do with my father?"

Finally, Chuck was able to relax for the first time tonight. He had actually anticipated this question.

"Well, your father was a great soldier who inspired the loyalties of his fellow soldiers. Casey owes his life to Alex Coburn, so when Alex's former commander threatened your mother, Casey did whatever he could to protect your mother and you."

Alex looked like she was considering his response. Chuck could tell that she was curious and wanted to believe it.

"Is my mother safe?"

"Yes, Casey took care of the man who went after your mother. You both will be safe."

He could tell Alex was weighing this in her mind. She turned to Casey. In a move that surprised the three agents, she hugged Casey. Casey awkwardly returned the hug.

"Thank you. All of you."

She pulled away and nodded her head at Chuck and Sarah in an unsaid thank you. She looked at Casey again and Chuck could see a question forming in her eyes.

"Mr. Casey, could I… would it be alright if I asked you about my father sometime?"

Casey was clearly surprised by the question. Chuck could see he was struggling with an answer. However, Casey looked again in Alex's eyes and Chuck could see the hopeful expression in her eyes. He also could see Casey was affected by her expression. To Chuck, there was no question what Casey's answer would be.

"Yeah, sure."

Chuck smiled at the exchange. The two exchanged numbers. Chuck also gave Alex his number as well, just in case she felt there might be danger. Chuck watched as Casey walked Alex out of the theater room. He kept them in view as Casey walks her out of the Buy More. Chuck watched as Casey was still watching Alex. Only after another did Casey turn away went back to stocking the shelves. Chuck turned around to see a very upset girlfriend.

"What the hell was that? You were being followed for days apparently and this is the first I hear about it? So that means one of two things: either you were being followed and didn't know. Which is a truly frightening thought, or you did know but didn't tell me, which hurts me more than you can imagine. Why would you not tell me?"

He knew this was coming. His girlfriend was too smart for Chuck's own good. He knew she would be able put two and two together.

"I needed to be sure. I didn't want to worry you for no reason."

"No reason? I would believe you no matter what. If you thought you were being followed I would have believed you and I would have done whatever was necessary to keep you safe."

"I don't want you to keep me safe. I can protect myself. I am no longer some helpless asset that needs your protection."

Sarah turned away from Chuck. She was quiet for a moment, but Chuck could see her shaking. He wasn't sure if she was crying. He reached for Sarah but as soon as his hand touched her shoulder, she turned around and pushed him away. He could see the tears in her eyes.

"You stupid moron, don't you get it? You have never been just an asset or another spy to me. I don't protect you because of that damn computer in your head. I protect you because I love you! l loved you when I shouldn't have. I loved you when I couldn't express it. Can't you see that I couldn't say the words, but I tried to show you the one way I knew how? Sometimes, it was the only way I could express myself. I love you, moron, that's why I protect you."

Sarah pushed past Chuck and left the room. Chuck watched her leave, still in shock by Sarah's outburst.

"I am a moron," Chuck said to the now empty theater room.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Alright, this took a little longer than I thought to write. This chapter is the midway part of this story so it took time to find the right flow to lead to the end of this story and into the next story. However, I think I got a hold of how I want this story to move. Thanks again to **mxpw** for being my beta and also for the comments. They have been helpful. The comments have given me a good idea that the story is coming along like I'm hoping. Also there was a review by **coreymon77** who noted Justin knowing about Chuck being the Intersect even though Shaw was dead. I didn't forget that Shaw hadn't told the Ring. I'm glad it was noticed though. I hint at it in this chapter, but there is an explanation how Justin knows about Chuck. It is part of the twist coming down the line. Also to a comment from **mxpw**, Sarah isn't as easy as this chapter may have implied. I did hint at this Cole part in _vs. the Sick Girlfriend_. The real story will be in chapter 5. There is a reason for this and it might not be what you think. I'll give this hint: next story will be _Chuck vs the Sister_. Alright I would like to thank everyone who has been reading the story. Also thanks to those who have been reviewing.

Spoilers: Everything through _Chuck vs. The Role Model _3x15

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

**Chapter 3: Sex, Lies, and a Videotape**

She glared at her reflection in the mirror. What she saw frightened her. When had she become so emotional? Her eyes were puffy and red from crying. She was Sarah Walker, sexy badass, super spy. She had fought terrorists, killed more people than she could count, seduced the supposedly unseduceable and done countless other things that normal people could never imagine. So why was she crying like an idiot? She didn't really need to ask, though, because she knew the answer; she fell in love. Worse, she fell in love with Charles Bartowski. She sighed thinking about him. She couldn't believe she sighed. Everything with him always felt more dramatic and emotional than with anyone else. Sometimes she felt like she didn't know the person she was becoming. She knew that she was changing and it scared her. However, she believed it was worth it because Chuck was worth it. She loved him so much but they were so different.

This wasn't anything new. She had known they had their differences. He wore his heart on his sleeve while her heart was barricaded by reinforced steel. She was normally quiet and reserved, while Chuck couldn't be quiet if his life depended on it. He didn't know how not to express himself. She wished she knew how he did it. How could he always put his heart on the line no matter how often he got hurt? She wasn't capable of that. When Chuck hurt her, she didn't rebound. She crawled forward until she was finally able to see Chuck without the pain. She wished she could have been able to move past the pain quicker. There had been so much time wasted in anger and in pain, which she could have spent with Chuck. She knew Chuck would never think like that but she did.

That was why she told herself that their differences didn't matter. However, the argument they had just had caused Sarah to worry. She knew Chuck needed her to say things for him to understand what she felt. She wished that he would be able to see it without her having to say anything. It would make things so much easier and less complicated. She could only imagine what Chuck must think. Why couldn't she just talk to Chuck? Instead, she kept having these outbursts of emotion. It wasn't new in their relationship. Their first kiss had been an emotional outburst. She was on the pier dealing with possibly dying, anger towards Chuck for not leaving, the jealousy she had been feeling over Chuck and Lou, and her ever growing feelings for Chuck. It was all too much to express in words so she just kissed him as hard as possible.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror again. She could talk to herself in the mirror. It was a habit people didn't know about her. When she was all alone, she would occasionally talk to herself. She found if she could say something out loud, she could examine the issue and come up with a solution. In some ways, she was able to talk to Shaw for the same reason. It was basically the same thing, except her reflection didn't try to get in her pants afterwards. However, it was still the same in that she made the decision. Shaw's opinion didn't matter if he tried to give it. She determined how she felt and what she wanted. With Chuck, it wouldn't be that way. They would discuss things and they would make decisions as a couple.

At least, that was the way it should be. They both seemed to being having problems with that. Chuck seemed to have problems relying on her. She wanted to believe that she didn't know why that was, but part of her knew the truth. He would not be the first person she dated that didn't like being rescued by his girlfriend. She knew Chuck wanted to be thought of as an equal, but for some reason, it seemed to Sarah that Chuck believed that depending on her for protection made him less than equal. It wasn't like there weren't times when the roles were reversed. There was also part of her that was afraid that this had to do with her past relationships. She was worried that Chuck would be comparing the way that she acted with others to the way that she acted with him. She needed to make him understand that their relationship was different from any other relationship that she had had before.

Chuck wasn't the only one with issues. Sarah knew she needed to work on trying to open up to Chuck. She knew that meant both personally and professionally. She had always tried to keep things from Chuck that she did as a spy to try to protect him. If they were going to be a lasting couple, that couldn't go on. She had finally told Chuck that she loved him. She hoped that would make it easier for her to discuss other things. That had still yet to be seen.

After she washed her face and changed for bed, she headed to their bedroom. She opened the door to find Chuck sitting on the edge of their bed. When she entered the room, he turned his gaze to her. Sarah thought he looked anxious and maybe a little worried. She was hesitant, not knowing what to do. She turned back to close the door. When she turned around to face Chuck again, she found Chuck standing right in front of her. He reached for her hands. She allowed him to take her hands. He began to rub his thumbs over her knuckles.

"Sarah, I am so sorry. You were right, I am a moron." He gave her a half smile. She knew he was sorry but that wasn't really the issue. She pulled her hands away and walked past him to the center of the room. Her back was to him now.

"Chuck, I don't need you to be sorry. I need you to trust me. I need you to be honest with me." She finally turned back to face him. She found a stricken looking Chuck gazing back at her.

"I do trust you. Sarah, I…"

"Then why didn't you tell me?" She knew she was starting to get upset and that might not help. She didn't care though. "You can't trust me a whole lot if you won't tell me about this." She paused as she tried to regain some composure. It didn't last. "Oh wait, you said you didn't want me to protect you. What the hell is that about? We're partners. We are supposed to look after each other."

Now, Chuck was the one who turned away. He remained unusually quiet. Sarah was worried. She reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Chuck, talk to me. What is this really about?" She turned him around to face her. His head was bowed and his eyes were looking at the ground. She took his face in her hands to make him face her. "Chuck?"

"It's stupid, really, especially after what you said at the Buy More. I just can't help feeling like I'm still an asset in need of protection instead of your partner. I've seen the way you and Bryce were. You two were so in-sync. You two trusted each other to protect each other. Then you and Shaw were such great partners that Beckman wanted you two to head up a special task force. I mean, you still even trusted him after you found out about Eve."

She had wondered how long it would take before he mentioned that. She couldn't believe he had held it in as long as he had. It was a conversation that was a long time coming. She had to make him understand. She took his hands in hers.

"Chuck, I need you to listen to me. You are a much better partner for me than anyone else, both professionally and personally. You saw me and Bryce after hundreds of missions. We weren't always like that. Chuck, you and I will get there in time, but we are still very new. For a long time, Bryce and I were so competitive that we messed up missions and nearly got each other killed. He couldn't handle being involved with someone who wasn't a damsel in distress. He really hated the times that I would end up saving him. Are we going to have that problem?"

Sarah almost laughed at Chuck's expression. He looked almost offended. "Come on, Sarah, I never had a problem with you saving me before. I won't now."

"Well, I had hoped you wouldn't, but this lying about being in danger was a Bryce Larkin move. I didn't like it when he did it and I sure as hell don't like it when you do it." Sarah could see that she was starting to get through to him. She hated bringing this up but she had to. "Chuck, we are light years ahead of where Shaw and I were as partners. There are probably a lot of things we need to discuss about him but I need you to understand this: Shaw and I were never really partners. Professionally, he was my superior. I could express my feelings but his decisions were final. To be perfectly honest, I am not sure why Beckman thought so highly of us. She seemed to give us the credit, even though most missions were only successful because of you. Lastly, I believed Shaw could be trusted after Eve because I needed it to be true. I needed to believe he was okay, because then, maybe, I could forgive myself."

"Why do you need to be forgiven? You were given a mission and you completed it. You were doing your job."

"Come on Chuck, killing someone is never easy: even if it's for a mission or even if you are completely justified. I felt guilty. I still do. Thinking about my Red Test makes me feel guilty for the way I acted after Perry. I know I wasn't being fair."

"Sarah, you don't…"

"Yes, I do. I feel bad for a lot of what happened in the last few months. It's part of the reason why I want us to be honest with each other. I know that I don't have the best track record with being open and honest, but I know the only way for us to work is to be honest. I just never thought I would have to worry about you being honest with me. So I have to ask, can you be honest with me? Can you do that?"

He gave her a soft smile. He brought his hands up to her face and started to stroke her left cheek with his right hand. "I can. I will. I am sorry for being a moron. I will do my best to not be one anymore. It may take some time, though. I have it on good authority that I am a stupid moron which has to be even worse than just a normal moron."

His smile went from a soft smile to a full, megawatt smile. Sarah couldn't help but return it in kind. Chuck leaned his forehead against hers. Sarah closed her eyes, enjoying the moment. She opened her eyes to look at him.

"Well, as long as you admit it. That is the first step."

She stood up on her toes to give him a peck on the lips.

"First steps are good. To prove my point, I am giving myself to you to protect me any way you see fit."

"Oh, that is a good first step. For your own good, I think I am going to have to keep you under the bed covers. I may have to tie you up for extra protection."

She began to kiss along his jaw and spoke in a voice getting softer and more seductive.

"If you think that is best."

She pulled back and took a hold of his tie. "Oh, I do. I am going to have to stay up all night to keep an eye on you. In fact, I think I am going to have to keep you up all night too." She pulled him in to a heated kiss.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She woke up the next morning sore but very content. She could have sworn that she started to purr as she stretched. Sex with Chuck was always great but there was something really special about make-up sex. Chuck was the kind of guy who seemed to really give a little extra during make up-sex as a way of apologizing, even if he wasn't the one at fault. Even though this time, he kind of was. However, Sarah didn't care who was at fault because they had actually spoken to each and seemed to work things out. It was a good sign for them.

She only wished Chuck didn't have to work this morning. She was still out of it when he woke up to go to work. She vaguely remembered asking him to call in sick. Unfortunately, he said he couldn't. She was too tired to really put up an effort to get him to stay. Now, she wished that she had. After last night, she wanted to be as close to him as possible right now. She was trying to figure out a way to get Chuck back home when her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and realized who it was.

"General?"

"Agent Walker, I need you to come in to the CIA building down town immediately."

Sarah was confused. She never went to the CIA building. Anything that needed to be discussed was done in Castle. "I'll be there, General. Should I contact the others?"

"No, Agent Walker, you are the only one needed. You are not to tell Agent Bartowski or Colonel Casey of your whereabouts. You will not be able to contact them until after the meeting. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. See you soon, Agent Walker."

Beckman hung up. Sarah was now worried. Whatever the General needed to discuss with her must be serious. Sarah didn't like this. She and Chuck were in a good place. She didn't want the CIA to ruin it. She was afraid that they already had.

* * *

He walked into the courtyard quite pleased with himself. He had set up everything perfectly. He looked around the courtyard to see partygoers dancing and having a good time. There was a lot of alcohol flowing and general merriment. He was used to being around people who were actually having a good time. For once, Justin could actually smile along with them, but for a whole different reason.

He looked around and saw Ellie and Devon talking next to the bar. With them was a shorter guy with a beard. He believed this was Morgan Grimes. He could recognize other people at the party from the dossier that he had gathered on the Bartowski family and friends. He also had a good idea of what these people meant to Chuck from Daniel's spy will.

Even in death, Daniel Shaw was a pompous ass. Justin was never particularly fond of the man. He had tolerated Daniel for his sister's sake. Justin had always found Daniel to be nothing more than a flashy shell. On the outside, he appeared to be this great man, but underneath, he was empty. His ego was inflated by his own opinion, and by that of his superiors, who were impressed by the flash. Daniel hated being wrong and could be vindictive when proven wrong. His spy will was evidence of this.

Daniel came to the Ring promising to help them make their own Intersect but kept the identity of the CIA's Intersect a secret. Justin was sure that Daniel believed he was doing it as some kind of proof of what a good man he was. But Justin knew the real reason was because Daniel didn't see Chuck as a threat. Chuck proved Daniel wrong, dead wrong. Daniel had made his new will before his trap in Paris. He had taken precautions in case he failed. He named Chuck as the Intersect. He had left instructions for the Ring to get a hold of his will if he were to die. Justin was one step ahead and found it first.

Of course, he didn't need the will, though. He already knew Chuck was the Intersect. He had learned that, one fateful night almost a year ago. It was amazing how one night could change the world. Fulcrum was being purged by the Ring, his father was killed, Chuck Bartowski became the Intersect 2.0, Bryce Larkin died, and he found the key to his survival.

Daniel's spy will did have details that helped Justin. It gave Justin a key to get what he wanted and needed. He learned Chuck's weaknesses. He found out the identity of Orion. He also found out a horrible secret; a secret that only Daniel and General Beckman knew. Intersect 2.0 had been sabotaged by someone that neither the CIA nor the Ring knew. Orion's plans had been altered in ways that not even he knew. The Intersect contained a virus that would destroy the user's mind. It wasn't a matter of if, just a matter of when. Justin had to find Orion for Chuck and his own survival. He needed Ellie for this.

Tonight, his plan would begin. He watched as Sarah Walker came out of her apartment. She looked worried. He knew why. He had made sure that evidence that showed Sarah was in Cole Barker's hotel room the night he was murdered surfaced. Justin and the Ring had held onto the evidence for months waiting for the right time. Justin had been in the CIA building when she came in. He had been there when she left almost an hour ago. He knew the evidence was flimsy. It would never hold up but it was enough to get her away from Chuck and Casey.

Justin looked at his watch. He figured Chuck and Casey would just now be arriving at Casey's daughter's house. He had made sure that Alex was being followed and that the house was being watched. He had instructed the agents to make it obvious so that Alex would feel threatened. Justin had tapped the cameras from Castle to gain access to their surveillance. It had paid off when he had seen that touching scene from the night before. Casey's daughter was smart enough to know she was being followed, but too inexperience to know it was too obvious. Justin knew she would call Chuck, who with Casey, would come running. The Ring agents would then leave without incident. Justin just needed Chuck out of the way for the moment.

The reason for it approached him. "Hi, Justin!"

"Hello, Ellie." He gave her the brightest smile he could muster. He received a dazzling smile in return. She grabbed his hand and started to lead him over to where her husband was. Devon was still talking to Mr. Grimes.

"Come on, Devon has been wanting to see you, and I want you to meet some of my friends."

He allowed her to lead him over to where Grimes and Devon were. They exchanged pleasantries and made small talk. Justin could barely contain himself. He hated small talk. However, he kept up appearances. He was the good guy. He just had to keep reminding himself that. Luckily, a couple of weird looking guys came over needing some help with some kind of equipment so they could 'jam'. Devon and Grimes left Justin alone with Ellie. Ellie was looking around the courtyard then at her watch.

"I wonder where Chuck is. I really wanted you to meet him."

"Hey, don't worry, it's still early." Justin watched as Ellie raised her hand and started to wave someone over.

"Oh, my brother's girlfriend is here. You can meet her and maybe she might know where Chuck is."

Luckily, Ellie was focused on Sarah coming over and didn't see Justin prepare himself. This was the moment he had been setting up for all night. He turned around to meet Sarah as Ellie moved between them. Justin figured she was going to try to make the introductions.

"Justin, I would like you to meet…."

"Scarlett Anderson, is that you?"

AN2: Next chapter Ellie and Chuck's POV


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Alright, sorry this took so long getting out. This chapter was a little harder to write. Originally, it was going to be a Ellie/Chuck pov. However, the Ellie part took a long time and was longer than I expected so it is seperate chapter. Good news is the Chuck pov is almost complete and it will also have Sarah's pov. It will be about what happened with Alex and we'll have the whole story about Sarah and Cole. I'm finishing up right now and should be sending it to my beta sometime today. Speaking of my beta, once again thanks to **mxpw** for helping on this chapter. I added a little bit of backstory for Ellie as a way of explaining something she does at the end of the chapter based on one of **mxpw**'s comment. Regarding the whole Cole reveal in the next chapter, I do sort of give away how things go in this chapter if you read close enough. Also this chapter ends on a mystery like the last one. This one isn't as much of a mystery. Most should probably guess what Ellie finds, but there is something else that will play apart later on that might not be obvious. It is something that has been on the show before. So thanks for those reading this story and also thanks for everyone who is reviewing the story. It means alot.

Spoilers: Everything through _Chuck vs. the Role Model_

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

**Chapter 4: Crossing Lines**

She couldn't believe she was doing this. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Ellie knew she was crossing a line. She was going from meddling sister to stalker. The rational side of her brain was telling her that she was overreacting. It was nothing. However, there was a nagging voice telling her that inside this room, something could hold answers to so many of the doubts that she had been having. She couldn't let this go.

The evening had started normal enough. Normal was probably exaggerating things. Tonight had been Morgan's big Cinco de Mayo party in the courtyard. She had come home to find Morgan, Devon, and some of the other Buy More workers decorating the courtyard in green, red and white. With a quick wave to Devon, Ellie went to their apartment for a shower and a change of clothes.

Ellie was surprised by how much she was looking forward to this party. The last few days had been stressful. She couldn't believe that it had taken longer for her to get back into her old routine. She hoped this party would help her relax.

She was also looking forward to seeing Justin. Devon had been happy to hear that Justin would be coming by as well. It wasn't actually seeing Justin that excited her, but what he represented. He was a reminder for Ellie of Africa. Despite the rough start, Ellie had begun to enjoy her time there. She felt good about the work she was doing. She was making a difference in the lives of those villagers. Sure, she made a difference at the hospital but it was different there. Life in Africa was so much simpler than her life here. There weren't the pressures and the complications that had begun to bog down her life here. She was just a doctor that treated sick people. She was just a wife with her husband. Fellowships, lies, salaries, brothers and all the things that she worried about were far away. She had felt a freedom that she had never remembered having before. There had always been something for her to worry about here, but in Africa those worries were thousands of miles away. She had found the simple life to be enjoyable.

As she had exited the apartment, she saw the exact opposite of simple enter the courtyard. Sarah was walking at a fast pace to her apartment. She seemed upset. Ellie couldn't help herself.

"Sarah!" The blonde turned around to face Ellie. Ellie definitely could see something was wrong. She kept telling herself not to interfere. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, of course." Ellie often wondered if Sarah thought she was a good liar. Maybe she was with other people, but Ellie could swear that Sarah could never look her in the eyes when Ellie asked her personal questions. "Have you seen Chuck?"

So this had something to do with Chuck? Now, Ellie was even more curious. "No, I haven't seen him all day. I would think you would have seen him before me. You do work across the parking lot from him."

Sarah looked even more uncomfortable after that statement. Ellie hadn't meant to be so blunt but sometimes she couldn't help it. She was tired of always feeling like she was out of the loop with her brother's life.

"Well, I wasn't at work today so I haven't had a chance to see Chuck since this morning."

"Oh, you were off today? You're still going to be off tomorrow for our day out?"

"Of course, not a problem. Just a bit of weird scheduling. I promised you we would have a day away from the guys to do girl stuff and we will."

Ellie swore she saw Sarah flinch at the mention of girl stuff. This wasn't something new. She had long come to the conclusion that Sarah must not have had many female friends growing up. It was like she was scared of spending a day just being one of the girls.

"Well, that's good. So what did you do with your day all to yourself?" She was being a little nosy. She knew it but Ellie knew next to nothing about what Sarah was interested in, well except her brother. Even that in the past was somewhat questionable.

"Nothing, really. I was just taking care of things that I had put off." Sarah was avoiding her eyes again. She really was not a good liar.

"Like what?" Sarah definitely appeared to be uncomfortable at the continued questioning. Sarah seemed to compose herself before responding.

"Oh, I was just going over some of the boxes I still have in my old apartment."

"You still have your apartment?" This was news to Ellie. She didn't like the thought of Sarah having her old apartment still. To Ellie, it seemed that Sarah was keeping a backup plan in case things with Chuck didn't go well. Ellie didn't want to believe that Sarah would do that but given Sarah and Chuck's history, she couldn't help but feel that way.

"Well, I had paid for another two months and they wouldn't return the money. Right now, I am just using it for storage for things I hadn't sorted out. I still have boxes from Washington that I never unpacked."

"Sarah, you should have told me this. I would have gladly helped you. Plus the two of us could have double teamed Chuck to get rid of some of his stuff so that you have enough room."

Sarah actually smiled and for the first time seemed to relax. "I like Chuck's room the way it is. I'll probably just give away some of the stuff and put the rest in a storage locker."

Sarah's moment of relaxation disappeared as she looked at her phone. Ellie wondered if there was something wrong or if Sarah just didn't like being unable to hear from Chuck? "Have you tried calling him?"

"Yeah, it went straight to voicemail." She seemed concerned. At least that's what Ellie thought. There were moments where Sarah was so hard to read. This was one of them.

"Maybe you should try him again. We can't have him missing the party. There is someone I would like you both to meet."

Sarah nodded her head. "Yeah, I'll do that. I am going to go inside and try to reach him. Then I'll get ready for the party. See you in a little while. Bye."

"Bye." Ellie watched Sarah go into her apartment. The more she talked to Sarah, it seemed the more questions she had. However, Ellie wasn't going to focus on that. She wanted to relax and have a good time. She went in search of her husband.

She found Devon and Morgan in the middle of a discussion with Jeff and Lester. She wasn't sure she wanted to get involved in the middle of whatever they were talking about. Anything dealing with Jeff and Lester couldn't end well. She started to turn away.

"Eliza, would you please explain to Morgan and your husband that a party wouldn't be the same without live entertainment."

Ellie would never understand how Chuck could hang around Jeff and Lester. She had never met two creepier individuals in her life. She couldn't be around Lester without feeling the need to shower afterwards. He was so brazen in the way he looked at her. His eyes would go straight to her cleavage almost immediately and would almost never leave. Jeff wasn't much better except his eyes were usually glossed over. Ellie couldn't get within five feet of him without smelling alcohol. Jeff was less obnoxious than Lester but more disgusting. She needed to get away from them. Luckily, Morgan answered, giving her a chance to back away.

"Guys, I have already gone over this with you. This party is about celebrating my heritage. Jeffster's music just doesn't have a Hispanic feel to it."

"Oh, please Morgan, stop pretending to be celebrating your supposed Hispanic heritage. It's shameful that you are pretending to be Hispanic so that you can reap the benefits. Drinking tequila and speaking a few words in Spanish doesn't make you Hispanic. If it did, Jeff would be a regular Mexican citizen."

"Me llamo, Jeff. Me gusto tequila"

Everyone turned their eyes to Jeff; each appeared to be trying not to say what they were thinking. "Yeah, that's great, Jefferson. Listen to me, Grimes you need us here for your party to be a success. Come on, Devon, you can attest to how great your wedding was because of our performance."

Devon must have seen something about her demeanor because he was already getting in between Ellie and Lester.

"My wedding…. You…- you… -son of a…."

"Whoa, babe. Let's go get you a drink." Devon dragged Ellie towards the bar area. After about three shots of something, Ellie finally started to cool down. By that time the party was really starting up. She finally spotted Justin entering the courtyard. He seemed as happy as she had seen him. She went over to greet him. They exchanged pleasantries. She couldn't explain why, but she enjoyed talking to him. She introduced him to Morgan. Devon and Justin exchanged hellos. They talked for awhile about different things ranging from their jobs, Africa and like most guys, sports. Unfortunately, Jeff and Lester returned. Morgan must have agreed to let them perform because they came back needing help with their equipment. Ellie began to look around and checked her watch. She was looking for Chuck. Not just to meet Justin, as she told him. She was concerned about him. After her conversation with Sarah, she was starting to believe something was not right.

Ellie found Sarah coming out of her apartment. Sarah looked a little bit more relaxed, but she was looking around as well. Ellie believed that Sarah was probably looking for Chuck. Ellie didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Ellie waved Sarah over. She moved to introduce Sarah and Justin.

"Justin, I would like you to meet…"

"Scarlett Anderson, is that you?" Ellie looked at Justin, not sure who he was referring to. She realized that he was referring to Sarah. Ellie turned to Sarah whose face had turned to one of confusion. However, for a split second, Ellie swore she saw a look of panic cross Sarah's face. Ellie almost believed she was imagining things because now Sarah was extending her hand to Justin.

"Sorry to disappoint, I'm not Scarlett Anderson. My name is Sarah Walker."

Justin shook her hand. "Sorry, you just reminded me of this woman who was at a couple of parties thrown by associates of mine in Germany."

"Definitely not me, I have never been to Germany."

"Oh well, I realize now that you are not her. I only saw her from across the dance floor. You do look similar but she spoke with a very prominent southern accent that could be heard throughout the entire room."

"Yeah, sorry, no accent."

"Well there's that and Mrs. Anderson was married to a man named Bruce. Obviously, since you are dating Ellie's brother, you can't be her."

"Obviously." The two stared at each other for a moment until some noise from the courtyard's entry caught their attention. "Speaking of my boyfriend, I see that he's here. Nice meeting you, Justin."

"It was my pleasure Sarah." With that, Sarah walked off. Before Ellie could really comprehend what was going on, Justin was looking at his watch. "Ellie, I am really sorry but I have to go."

"Already? Let me get my brother over here so you can meet him."

"Well, he looks busy." Ellie looked over and Sarah said something to Chuck. His whole demeanor changed. He had looked relatively relaxed, but he now was serious. They walked to their apartment ignoring all the merriment around them. "Sorry, I can't stay longer. Here is my number and hotel info, in case you need anything. I will be here for the next few days."

He wrote down the info and gave her the paper. He gave her a quick hug before he headed off. Ellie put the number in her pocket. She was confused. The whole Sarah and Justin conversation was replaying in her mind. They had put on a good show but that's all it was. There had been some kind of war between them. Justin acted in a way that she had not seen from him. There was a smugness that came through in his smile. He was almost daring Sarah. Daring Sarah to do what, Ellie didn't know. Sarah had looked panicked for a moment, but the confusion that came over her features seemed just as genuine. She didn't understand whatever Justin was after anymore than Ellie did.

It could have been just a weird misunderstanding. She wanted it to be nothing. She wanted to believe that it was all in her head. However, a thought came to her mind. Wasn't Sarah's ex named Bruce? That seemed like a weird coincidence. Sarah said she had never been to Germany but Chuck once mentioned that Sarah had traveled all over Europe. Things didn't add up. She needed answers. She didn't know who to go to. An idea came to her.

She was now standing outside of Sarah's hotel room, trying to break in. She had waited till everyone was asleep before she left. Of course, Chuck and Sarah weren't asleep. Apparently whatever problems they may have had it didn't affect their sex life.

There was a secret about Ellie that not many people knew about, she had a criminal past. She was never caught, but she had done some pretty illegal things. In college after a big exam, she and a group of friends would go to fancy hotels, find out which room was empty, and break in. They would run up a huge tab from room service, raid the mini-bar, and watch some of the racier pay-per-view movies. They would be gone by the next morning. Ellie always worried about getting caught, but she came to realize that some of the fancier hotels were really lax on security figuring no one would try to break in. Of course, any time someone did question them, she found people tended to believe that a girl that looked like her would try breaking in. They would buy whatever story she ended up telling them. Especially the men, she would either flirt or be the innocent, naïve girl. She found most men wanted to either feel like a stud or a knight. Over her four years in college, she had broken into ten of the best hotels in the Los Angeles area. Sarah happened to be staying at one of them. Apparently, after all this time, they hadn't made any changes to the locks.

She entered the hotel room. She wasn't sure what she was looking for. There were boxes all over the place. Ellie went through different ones searching. Nothing seemed too weird, even though some of the clothes and jewelry were pretty expensive. Ellie once again wondered where Sarah got all her money from. The one weird thing was there were a couple of knives that were really big. Ellie didn't want to know why Sarah had those.

For almost an hour she searched without finding anything. She was getting frustrated. She started to put things back when something caught her eye. For some reason part of the wall looked a different shade than the rest of the wall. Ellie walked over to the spot. She knocked at different parts of the wall. There was a hollow spot. Ellie grabbed a desk lamp. She smashed the wall with the butt of the lamp. The hollow part broke showing what was concealed behind it. It was a lock box. There was a code that needed to be entered to open it. Ellie thought about it for a second and entered a number. The lock box opened up.

"Chuck's birthday? That seems almost obvious." She opened the box to find some passports of Sarah's. However, they had different names. There was about ten thousand dollars in cash. She also found a disc inside. However, the most disturbing thing was a picture that she found. Ellie covered her mouth and felt her eyes watering up.

"Oh god, Chuck, who have you fallen in with?"


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Hi all. Here is the promised chapter dealing with the Cole issue. This is a very Charah heavy chapter. It's a little angsty, however, the last chapter did give you an idea how things go. The chapter is from Chuck and Sarah's point of view. Next Chapter will be Sarah's and Justin's. It will be the second to last chapter for this story. The next two chapters will be dealing with what Ellie finds out. Also I will start dealing with the problem with the Intersect. It was mentioned in Justin's pov in an earlier chapter, also I have tried to hint at it in the descriptions of Chuck's flashes. These will be the main stories going into the next story: _Chuck vs the Sister_. Thanks to all those reading. Also thanks to **mxpw** for being my beta and for the suggestions. Sometimes I write with something in mind but doesn't always translate on paper. **MXPW** usually points this out to me which helps me try to describe the thing in more details so the reader can imagine what I am seeing.

Spoilers: Everything through _Chuck vs the Role Models_

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck. If I did they would having more sex, apparently

**Chapter 5: It Happened One Night**

This was the way every day should begin. Sarah's nude body was tightly entwined with his. She looked so peaceful and happy. A sliver of a smile was on her face. She seemed to be trying to burrow into his body. Chuck Bartowski felt like the luckiest man in the world. He never wanted to get out of bed. However, the outside world still loomed. He had to go to work. He tried to get out of bed but a semi-conscious girlfriend tightened her hold.

"Stay." She was adorable. She looked like she was barely awake. Her eyes were still closed. Her voice was almost a whimper. Nothing indicated the voice belonged to a deadly CIA agent. Chuck tried to roll her on her back so he could get up. It was a bad move as Sarah wrapped one leg behind him. "Stay."

"Sarah," he groaned out as she began to kiss along his jaw line. "I have to go to work."

"Stay."

Her one word answer told him that she was still mostly asleep. If she was awake, she would have been using more than one word. And those words would also be a lot dirtier. He decided to change tactics. Instead of trying to push away from her, he just relaxed against Sarah. Once he relaxed, he felt Sarah's grip on him loosen. He gave her a gentle kiss on her lips. "I love you."

Sarah smiled before appearing to go back to sleep, but not before mumbling, "Love too."

Chuck was able to free himself from Sarah's grip as she softly started to snore. Chuck took a moment to watch her. Then with a sigh, he got ready for work. He didn't want to turn Sarah down, but he knew if he kept missing work, too many questions would be asked. He couldn't keep asking Morgan to cover. He didn't want Morgan to get in trouble. His best friend had earned his spot as assistant manager.

It was times like these he wished the CIA would give him a better cover job. He knew that while he was an asset, he needed constant protection. But he was a spy now. He really wished Sarah and he had been on better terms when Italy was offered. The two of them could be living in the lap of luxury right now. Instead, they lived in an apartment with his best friend while his sister lived less than thirty feet away.

Last night had helped with some of Chuck's insecurities about his relationship with Sarah. He had wanted to believe that they functioned well as partners, especially after coming back from Europe. The problem was that he remembered watching Sarah and Bryce fighting in tandem, and a little voice in the back of his head would constantly remind him that he would never be as good as Bryce. Sarah's honesty last night helped push the doubts away. If he felt the doubt creep up again, he just needed to remember the complete openness in the way she had looked at him as she spoke.

Now, he only wished he could give her more in their cover/home life. He knew she would never complain, but she couldn't enjoy working at a yogurt shop. He would go over to visit her during the day to find her just staring out, or she would be cleaning the same spot for minutes at a time. Maybe he was just projecting. He was bored at the Buy More. He wanted a cover job that he could enjoy as much as being an agent. Also, a better job could give him an opportunity to provide Sarah with more. He knew she didn't care if he could never afford fancy dinners, jewelry and other expensive things. She had said as much to him. This just made him want to give her those things even more. He needed to find a way to move on from the Buy More.

The day droned on at a snail's pace. It didn't help matters that Sarah was nowhere to be found. She didn't show up at the Orange Orange and her phone was turned off. He didn't want to worry. After last night, they were in a great place. He had tried to ask Casey if he knew about Sarah's whereabouts. Unfortunately, he didn't get a sympathetic response.

"Are you that whipped that you can't last a couple of hours without speaking to Walker?"

"Hey, I'm being a loving boyfriend showing concern for his girlfriend."

"Yeah, like I said, whipped." Casey paused for a second. He looked like he was going to leave, but decided he had something else to say. "Speaking of you and Walker, could you please close your window at night?"

"Sarah likes the cool, night air on her naked skin when she sleeps."

"That wouldn't be a problem if all she did was sleep with the window open. You two have a habit of waking up in the middle of the night two or three times for another 'round.'" Chuck felt his face flush under Casey's gaze. "Oh yeah, I've heard Walker's nickname for your nighttime activities. Who knew she was a boxing fan?"

"UFC."

Casey looked at Chuck for a moment and just shrugged. "Figures. I must admit that I am surprised you're still standing after last night. Round five, I am kind of impressed."

Chuck felt stunned as Casey walked away. That may have been the closest thing to a compliment that Casey had ever given him. Perhaps even more amazing, it seemed that they had had a real guy talk with each other where Chuck didn't have to pester Casey to talk. Casey had actually brought the subject up without prompting. Sure it was a short talk, but Casey hadn't called him a moron so that was an improvement.

The rest of the day, he seemed to be speaking to people nonstop. If they weren't in the store, it was on the phone. Morgan came by to make sure Chuck would be at the party before he made last minute purchases for the party. Jeff and Lester kept bugging him about talking to Morgan. They wanted to play the party. Ellie called to make sure he would be at the party. She reminded him that she wanted him to meet Justin. There were also a lot of customers with all kinds of problems. Unfortunately, Sarah was not one of the people he spoke to. He was really starting to worry. He wanted to just ditch work and go looking for her. He had to keep reminding himself that he was trying to make an effort to not leave work unless it was for national security. He asked himself for about the hundredth time that day why he turned down his naked girlfriend. Maybe Casey should have called him a moron.

Finally, the work day ended. Chuck wasted no time trying to leave the store. However, his phone rang before he exited.

"Sarah?" He didn't even look at the caller ID.

"No, Chuck it's Alex."

"Sorry, Alex. How can I help you?"

"Chuck, I am being followed."

"What?" Chucked scanned around the store till he found Casey. They locked eyes and Chuck waved him over.

"All day I had this feeling that I was being followed, and on my way home I finally spotted them. They kept getting closer and closer. Now they are right across the street in a car. What do I do?"

"Have you called the police?"

"Yes, I wasn't sure what to tell them. I just said that there was suspicious looking car outside my house. They said they would send a patrol car over. I'm not sure they believed me, Chuck. What do I do now?"

By now, Casey had made his way over to where Chuck was. "Alex, listen to me, the first thing you need to do is remain calm." Casey was definitely not calm when he heard his daughter's name.

"Okay, I am calm."

"Alright, next find something, anything that you can use to defend yourself."

"Okay, I found something."

"Good, now just keep watch on the car. If they get out or if you see or hear anything else suspicious, I want you to find some place to hide. Keep your phone on. Casey and I are coming to help. Just hold on."

"Please hurry, Chuck. I'm scared."

Chuck covered his hand over the mouth piece. "Get the car. I'll go down to Castle to get supplies."

"No need. The Vic is stocked."

Chuck just rolled his eyes. "Figures. Alex, we are on our way." He and Casey went out into the parking lot and climbed into the Vic. Chuck had barely sat down before the Vic was on the move and speeding out of the parking lot.

Casey drove like a mad man. He ran red lights, drove on the curb, weaved through traffic at high speeds, passed on the side of oncoming traffic and made such violently sudden turns that Chuck felt queasy. Chuck had to focus on making sure Alex was okay. He kept updating her on how close they were. They made it to Alex's house in record time; something that wouldn't have seemed possible to Chuck if he hadn't been in the car to witness it.

As soon as they were in eyesight of the other car, the other car turned on its high beams. It pulled away from the curb and started to drive straight at the Vic. Chuck watched in terror as the cars appeared to be on a collision course. Casey looked determined to not chicken out first. Instead, Chuck felt the car going faster. Chuck could see the lights getting closer and closer. Chuck was about to jump in the back seat of the Vic when the other car swerved out of the way. Chuck heard the sound of the other car scraping a parked car as it sped away. Casey did a high speed u-turn. Chuck felt his body slam against the side of the car. He felt sick to his stomach at the movement. He looked at Casey. Chuck could see a battle in Casey's eyes. Chuck knew that instinct told Casey to follow the other car. However, Casey seemed to make a decision against his instinct and pulled the car over in front of Alex's house.

Casey opened the glove box and pulled out a gun. He handed the gun to Chuck. Chuck felt a protest coming, but one glare from Casey quelled that protest. Chuck watched as Casey pulled down his visor where a gun was strapped to the roof. Casey then pushed in the cigarette lighter. It popped up and Casey pulled it out. Instead of a lighter, a whole block panel came out. It was square and about two inches length and width. Chuck could see a clip attached to it. Casey took the clip off and put it in his gun. The two got out of the car. They walked up to the house, all while they made sure to keep a look out in case there was anyone else out there. Alex opened the door before they even knocked.

"Alex, are you…oomph!" Chuck was cut off by Alex throwing her arms around his midsection in a fierce hug. Her face was buried in his chest. Chuck was in an awkward place trying to comfort Alex without being too comforting. He could feel Casey's heated glare on him. Chuck patted Alex on the back. "It's okay. You're safe now."

Alex pulled back and Chuck could see her eyes were red. "Oh my God, I have never been so scared. Who were those men? What did they want? Are we safe?"

"Whoa, slow down, Alex. Let's get out of the open." The three entered the house. "Is your mother home?"

"No, thank goodness. She's out of town visiting family. I would have gone but I have school."

Chuck looked at Casey, who seemed to be conflicted. Chuck imagined that Casey probably wasn't sure if he wanted to see Kathleen or not. However, the conflict seemed to disappear from Casey's face. The trio discussed what to do now. Casey suggested that Alex come back to the apartments with them for her safety. Chuck agreed with Casey, partly for Alex, but mostly for Casey. He didn't know how Casey was keeping it together, and he didn't want to add to Casey's stress. Alex didn't seem to mind, because she agreed with their suggestion. It only took her a few minutes for her to gather some clothes for the night.

The trio arrived at the apartments to find a very festive courtyard filled with equally festive guests. Chuck was focused on trying to find Sarah: however, he was soon greeted by Jeff, Lester, Devon and Morgan. Apparently, Morgan had agreed to Jeffster performing at the party. The four of them were going to get equipment, but stopped as Jeff and Lester started to hit on Alex. Casey, however, managed to scare them away with a growl and a glare. The two scattered among the other party guests. Devon greeted Alex and offered to get a drink for her. Casey tried to talk Devon out of this: however, Alex had been looking all around the court yard at the festivities. Chuck could see she wanted to have some fun and she followed Devon. The pair was followed closely by a very angry Casey.

"So Chuck, who's the girl?" Chuck looked at his best friend. Morgan was doing his own eyebrow dance. Chuck realized what he was suggesting.

"No. Don't go there, Morgan. Don't think about it. Don't even think about thinking about it. It's safer that way."

"Geez, buddy, is having a hot blonde not enough? Are you in need of a brunette as well?"

"Why would Chuck need a brunette?" The question was spoken into Chuck's ear. He turned around to find his girlfriend. He could tell by the look in her eyes that something was wrong. "Chuck, we need to talk."

"Oh come on, Sarah, it was just…"

"Morgan, not now. Chuck, please." Chuck nodded and the two walked back to their apartment. The walk from the courtyard to the apartment seemed to take forever, even though it was a matter of seconds. The two entered the bedroom. Chuck walked over to the window and closed it. Sarah locked the door behind her.

"Sarah, what's wrong? Where have you been all day?"

Chuck's eyes met Sarah's and he could see the torment in her eyes. "I was being questioned on the death of Cole Barker."

"What? Cole's dead? How? Why?" He paused for a second before the question he really wanted to know came to mind. "What does that have to do with you?"

Sarah lowered her eyes for a moment before she looked in Chuck's eyes again. "I was with Cole the night he died. I was the last person to see him alive."

* * *

Sarah watched the emotions play over Chuck's face. He didn't know what to think and he probably had a bunch of questions. Sarah just wondered which one he would ask first. Sarah remained quiet. She would let Chuck ask her what he wanted to know. She would answer his questions honestly. She owed him that. Chuck paced for a moment before he stopped.

"When?"

Sarah took a breath to steady herself. "After Prague, I went on a bunch of missions. I tried to throw myself into these missions to try and forget. About three weeks after that day, I was assigned a mission in Venice. It was a joint mission with the British. Cole was the other agent."

"So you were in his hotel room for a mission?" Sarah wanted to just say yes and end things there. She couldn't do that. No, she could, but she didn't want to. Not with Chuck.

"No, this was after the mission."

Chuck closed his eyes. "Don't make me ask, Sarah. Please?"

"No, I didn't." Chuck looked up with wide eyes.

"You don't need to say that on my account. I may not like you sleeping with other men, but I am not a child believing that you were as pure as snow the first time we were together. I can handle the truth."

Sarah walked over to Chuck and placed her hand on his cheek. "I'm not lying. I promised you last night that I would be open and honest with you. Cole and I never slept together."

"Okay, then what happened?"

Sarah sighed. She knew that what happened wasn't that bad but still she didn't like thinking about it. She was embarrassed about the way she had acted after Prague. "The mission was a disaster. We were trying to stop an assassin and failed. The assassin was able to take a shot and hit the target. Luckily, Cole had knocked the assassin off balance enough that it hit the target in the shoulder. It wasn't fatal. Let's just say our superiors weren't happy. It was my fault. I wasn't on top of my game. I was distracted. After the mission, I was supposed to leave for my next mission, but I stayed for drinks with Cole. After a few drinks, he asked me back to his hotel room. I said yes. We started to get involved but before things progressed, I asked him about an offer he made the first time we worked together"

"Fiji" Sarah looked at Chuck in stunned silence. "Yeah, I saw. You should realize that nothing happens in Castle that I don't know about. I did read the manual."

Sarah wasn't sure what it was, but she was bothered by Chuck's statement. It may have been the tone or the implication, but Sarah felt a chill run down her spine. The person who said that didn't sound like Chuck, at least not her Chuck. However, Chuck had taken a hold of the hand on his cheek and brought it to his mouth. He gave it a light kiss of encouragement.

"Yes, I asked him if the offer for Fiji still stood. I told him if it did, I wanted to make it permanent. I wanted to get away from it all."

"And what did he say?"

"He turned me down." Now Chuck was the one who looked stunned. "Yeah, in less than a month I was turned down twice. He told me that he had gotten caught up in the heat of the moment and the thrill of the chase. He loved being a spy. He didn't want to walk away. A few days in paradise were fine, but a real life together wasn't. I asked him if I was just going to be a quick fuck and he didn't deny it. He tried to explain that he did care about me but not enough to walk away. He also brought you up, which was still a sore subject. So I ended up kneeing him in the groin and punching him in the face before I stormed out of the hotel."

Chuck had a smile on his face. "Well, thank you for not kneeing me in the groin."

For the first time since the morning, Sarah laughed. "It crossed my mind once or twice."

Chuck pulled Sarah into his arms for a hug. Sarah felt a flood of relief overcome her. Then he led them over to the bed. He broke the hug for a moment. Sarah gave him a questioning look. He smiled at her before he kicked off his shoes and sat against the headboard of the bed. Sarah followed him onto the bed. She laid her head against his chest. She took comfort in his embrace as he stroked her hair.

"So what happened today? Why are you being questioned after all this time?"

"That's the strange thing. A surveillance tape of me coming out of Cole's room surfaced yesterday. I didn't even know about Cole dying till today. I guess they hadn't questioned me before because I was supposed to have already been gone when he was killed. Apparently, his body wasn't found for a couple of days. The window for the time of death is a few hours."

Chuck tightened his grip on her. "How bad is this for you?"

"It would have been bad, but the security tape has gaps in it. Then around four this afternoon, General Beckman was contacted by MI-6 with Cole's phone records from the hotel. Apparently, he received a call after the tape shows that I left."

"How did they not know this before they questioned you?"

She had been wondering that as well. There were just so many questions that she had. "I don't know. Something is suspicious. I just don't know what the reason behind all of this is."

Sarah felt Chuck kiss the top of her head. She sat up and turned over to straddle his legs. She looked in his eyes while stroking his face.

"Are you okay about Cole?"

"Yes, even if you had slept with Cole, I would have been okay with it. I am sorry that I hurt you. I hate the idea of you doing these missions, risking your life while you were in pain. I hate knowing that something could have happened to you with you believing I didn't love you."

Sarah leaned over and kissed Chuck. "It's not all your fault. I was so focused on my pain that I didn't even look at things from your side. I just assumed you didn't love me."

"I'm sorr…"

"Don't say it, Chuck. No more apologizing for the past. I want to focus on you and me now on this bed. I have been wanting this all day. I was so scared we wouldn't get back to this place again. Let's stop thinking about the past. Be here with me right now."

Sarah nearly cried out in joy when Chuck pulled her into a passionate kiss. This was all that mattered. She focused on his lips and his tongue, his wonderful tongue. She was so happy that he took the Cole story so well that she ignored the voice in her head that told her there was more they needed to discuss. However, as she felt Chuck kissing a sensitive spot on her neck and his hands were under her shirt, she forgot everything else. She figured whatever it was it could wait till the morning. She figured what could change so dramatically in one night?


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Back again. Alright here is the second to last chapter of this story. Hopefully, things will be looking a lot clearer after this chapter. These next two chapters will be setting up the main stories for the next story _Chuck vs the Sister_. I am currently writing the next chapter. Hopefully it should be done before the weekend is over. I haven't forgotten my other story _Chuck vs. the Ewok_. I am still working on it. I really wanted to try to finish this story. Thanks to mxpw for betaing my work. As always thanks to everyone reading this story.

Spoilers: Everything through _Chuck vs. The Role Models _3x15

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

**Chapter 6: The Oncoming Storm**

She could get used to this. Sarah smiled as pressed into the warmth of the body beside her. She opened her eyes to see that Chuck was still asleep. Yesterday had been a rare occurrence when Chuck had woken up before her. Most days for her began like this. She loved waking up every morning before Chuck. She was fascinated by the way he looked when he slept. He was relaxed but even in his sleep his face was expressive. For the last week, Chuck had had a pained expression on his face. He looked like he was having a nightmare. She would stroke his face hoping to calm him down. A couple of times it worked but other times he would wake up gasping. He would shrug it off as nothing, but she could tell something was bothering him.

However, this morning he had a beautiful smile. She swore he giggled in his sleep. She wanted this every morning. She placed a kiss on his bare chest where his heart was. She looked over at the time and groaned. She moved to get out of bed but Chuck tightened his grip on her.

"Stay." She looked up and the smile he had now was his full megawatt smile. She knew he was awake despite his eyes being closed. She gently swatted his chest.

"Funny."

Chuck opened his eyes still smiling that bright smile. "I thought so." He reached up to start stroking her cheek. His face became more serious. "I love you."

She couldn't stop the stupid grin she felt on her face. She sat up to kiss him. She kissed him putting as much love into it as possible. "I love you too."

Chuck pulled her back for another kiss. However, before their lips could meet, Sarah moved away. "Hey!"

"Sorry, Chuck, I have to meet your sister. Today is our 'Girls Day Out'. You know how much Ellie has been looking forward to this. She has spent the last three years trying to have one of these. Trust me; I would rather stay in bed with you. I can't believe I'm doing this." She was waiting for a response from Chuck, but she got none. She turned back to look at Chuck. "Hello, a little support here. Hey!"

Chuck's eyes snapped up to look at Sarah's face. "Huh, what? Sorry, can you put something on? It's very hard to concentrate with you walking around naked."

She looked down at her naked body before she looked back at Chuck. She gave him her sexiest grin while she gave him a once over. "Oh, I can see just how hard it is."

Chuck closed his eyes and groaned. "Don't do that. Please, I have like no will power at the moment. I am about this close to calling El up and telling her that you can't go out with her."

She began to get dressed. She looked back at Chuck, who still had his eyes closed. "You can open your eyes. I have a shirt and underwear on."

"Oh, like that's better. That's still a lot of skin showing. I always get a little sad watching you cover all that beautiful skin and lovely curves up."

"That's kind of sweet. All right, I'm dressed. You can open your eyes now." Chuck opened his eyes. "Should I be worried?" Chuck started to laugh. "Hey, it's not funny. Your sister is scarier than some of the terrorists I have faced. Don't keep laughing. I wasn't the one making up excuses to avoid all those wedding planning meals she tried to arrange with us last year. I don't want to be on your sister's bad side."

Sarah watched as Chuck got out of bed. She had no qualms about watching him getting dressed. Once he had jeans on, he walked over to Sarah and took her hands. "Are you kidding? Ellie loves you. Right now, I need to worry. She wanted me to meet her friend Justin last night. I got a little sidetracked."

Chuck smiled at Sarah; however, his joke didn't have the affect on her he probably wanted. Sarah pulled her hands away and walked away from Chuck. She ran her hands through her hair. "Damn, I knew I was forgetting something. I was so happy that you took the Cole situation so well, I forgot about Justin."

"What happened?" Sarah could see all levity was gone from Chuck's face.

"Ellie asked me over to introduce me to Justin, but before Ellie could say my name, Justin called me by an alias I used on a couple of missions with Bryce."

"Had you ever met the guy before?"

"No, never. He knew I had used that alias on a mission in Germany and that I spoke with a Southern accent. It's possible he could have been at the party and just noticed me. That was the whole point of the role on those missions. It was like the Von Hayes party. We made a spectacle of ourselves so it would be obvious why we were disappearing."

Chuck grimaced. "Yeah, I remember. Do you think this guy is lying or is this just some big coincidence?"

"I don't know." Sarah could see this was bothering Chuck. She knew it was because this involved Ellie. "These parties I would go to had different people from different organizations. Some of them were charities, so it's possible that Justin was there for that."

"Or he's an agent using my sister to get to us." Sarah reached out to hug him. They stood there in each other's arms for a little bit before Chuck pulled away. "What was the alias?"

She wasn't sure about telling him. She still had some trouble talking to him about her previous missions, but they were trying to be open and honest. Things went well with the Cole incident. This was nothing. "Scarlett Anderson."

Sarah watched as the tell tale signs of a flash started. This was part of the reason she worried about Chuck knowing more about her past. She often worried that he would flash on things that she hadn't told him about. She worried that he would judge the things that he saw in the flash without her getting an opportunity to explain the situation. She wondered how many of her missions he had flashed on and hadn't told her. Sarah started to worry for a whole new reason. She watched as Chuck's flash still continued. He never flashed this long. His eyes were rolling in the back of his head now.

"Chuck!" Sarah held on to Chuck as he began to wobble. "Chuck, baby, please, you got to stop! Chuck!"

She hated to do this but this was a drastic situation. She reared back and slapped Chuck as hard as she could. Finally, it looked like the flash ended. Chuck shook his head. Sarah led him to the bed so he could sit down. She ran her hands through his hair.

"Ouch, did you hit me?"

"Chuck, what happened? It looked like your flash wouldn't end. You were on the verge of collapsing."

Chuck was rubbing his hand against the spot where she slapped him. "So slapping was your only option? You couldn't have shaken me or tossed water on me? Must your default mode be violence?"

"Stop joking, Chuck. What happened?" Sarah felt tears in her eyes. She didn't want to get upset, but she needed Chuck to be serious.

"Sorry, I started flashing on that name. It listed the different cities you used it in. There was your passport picture. You actually had red hair?"

"Chuck!"

"Right, right. I guess my emotions got the best of me again. There was a video of you and Bryce kissing and it just got stuck on a loop or something. I kept seeing that kiss over and over again."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"Has that ever happened before?"

"No, but I have never flashed on you with another guy. The Intersect is affected by my emotions so it must have been affected by my reaction to you and Bryce."

She studied Chuck's face for a moment. He seemed to believe what he was saying, but something didn't feel right. "Okay, I'm calling Ellie and telling her that I can't meet her."

Chuck stood up. He still looked a little wobbly. "No! I'm fine."

"Chuck…"

"No, listen to me, Sarah. You need to meet with Ellie. We need to get more information on Justin."

Sarah couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Chuck, do you want me to investigate your sister?"

"No… yes, I want you to find out everything she knows about Justin. Too many coincidences are happening lately. The Cole murder being brought up now, one of your past missions resurfacing, and Alex was followed yesterday."

"What?"

"Oh yeah, that's why I was late. Alex called me stating that she was being followed. Casey and I went to investigate. When we got to her house, this car sped out. We decided to bring her back here until we could look into the matter."

"This definitely doesn't seem like a coincidence. I really should stay here."

"No, you need to talk to Ellie to see what she knows about Justin and we can't draw attention to ourselves. We need to go along with our day like nothing is wrong. I'll check in with Casey and pull up the video from the courtyard. See if I can flash on Justin."

Alarms went off in Sarah's head at Chuck flashing again. "Chuck, are you sure you should try to flash again? What if the same thing happens and no one is around?"

Chuck bent his head to give Sarah a quick kiss. "Sweetie, I'll be with Casey. I'm sure that if anything goes wrong he'll just punch me, but don't worry, I'll be fine. It was just the Intersect reacting to my emotions."

Sarah still felt something was wrong. She wasn't sure if Chuck was trying to convince her or himself. He was right. His plan was the most logical. He was thinking like a spy. She was thinking as a woman in love. She needed to do what Sarah the spy would do. "Okay, you're right. We need to find out what's going on."

She did what any spy would do, yet every fiber of her being was telling her that she was wrong. She needed to stay with Chuck, but she would go. She just hoped that it wasn't a mistake.

"Alright, glad that is settled."

"Wait, I want you to promise me that if something goes wrong, you will call me, okay? Promise me, Chuck. Please?"

She gave him her best pout and her voice had a little bit of begging in it. She didn't care if she was being manipulative. She needed Chuck to promise her. She had to believe he would never go back on a promise.

He looked stunned by her request or maybe it was the way she requested it. However, after a few seconds, he cupped her face in his hands. "I promise I will call you if anything goes wrong."

He kissed her. It was brief, but still she felt her heart race. She smiled in relief. He promised that was good enough for her. She looked past Chuck and for the second time today she groaned.

"It's time for me to go meet up with Ellie." Sarah walked over to the table next to the bed. She placed her hand behind it reaching for a button. She pressed the button and a panel on the side of the table opened up. She had a gun and some knives on an ankle holster.

"Sarah! You can't bring weapons with you to meet my sister. She isn't the enemy."

"Says you." Chuck gave her a stern look. Well, it was stern for Chuck. "Oh, alright. I'll go face your sister unarmed. You are lucky I love you."

"Yes, I am."

She prayed that Chuck never realized just how unbelievably charming he could be without trying. They kissed goodbye.

She just hoped she did the right thing.

He waited. She should be coming over soon. Justin knew Ellie wouldn't be able to ignore what happened at the party. She loved her brother too much to ignore the possibility that his girlfriend may be hiding something. Family loyalty was something that he was familiar with. It was an admirable trait, but it was something that could be used against a person.

He just needed to make sure that he played his role right. Ellie was going to be suspicious of Sarah but also of him. She would want to give Sarah the benefit of the doubt for her brother's sake. He just wondered if she would come to him first or investigate on her own? Eventually, though, she would come to see him. He had to be convincing. She was going to need to trust him enough to contact her father. He needed Orion.

The irony of needing Orion's help was not lost on Justin. His mother died trying to capture Orion for Fulcrum. His father had also searched for Orion, as did Justin and Eve. For some reason, it seemed as if his family and the Bartowski's were connected by circumstance. Chuck was dating the woman who killed his sister. Chuck himself had taken down Ted Roark leading to the Ring's purge of Fulcrum, which in turn, led to his father's death. Chuck's father, Stephen J. Bartowski, was responsible for Justin's continued existence. If he was going to continue existing, Justin had to get Ellie to tell him where Orion was.

He still remembered that night last year. He had received a warning from his father that Roark had been captured. His father knew what was going to happen next. Roark and Fulcrum had failed over and over again. Of course, now Justin understood that Fulcrum was always meant to fail. Fulcrum was just a means to an end for the Ring. The more instability Fulcrum created, the more the Ring was able to centralize power into a few people. The Ring was making sure that those people in power were all their members. Once Fulcrum was no longer useful, the Ring enacted a swift extermination. With his father's warning, Justin knew his time was limited. However, earlier that day, Fate seemed to be on his side.

He had always resented being assigned to the L.A. CIA office. It was so far away from Washington DC. That was where all the power was. However, that day there was a buzz in the building. A dead man had entered the building. He investigated this rumor and was surprised to find Bryce Larkin walking the halls. He followed behind to see what was going on. Unfortunately, Larkin had amazing instincts. Anytime Justin got near Larkin, he seemed to sense it. He met with a couple of people and left. Justin was unable to hear anything Larkin talked about.

However, when his father sent the message, Justin went to the offices of the men Larkin spoke to. They had left early for reasons no one knew. Fate again seemed to be on his side, one of the men Larkin spoke to was sloppy. He had written down information on a notepad. That was a major rule with the agency; agents were not to write down information if they could. They needed to memorize it. The agent got rid of the paper he wrote on but left the notepad. Justin was able to pull up the information on the sheet of paper underneath the one the agent wrote on. It was an address.

Justin wasted no time going to the address. It looked to be just some run-down warehouse. He could tell it was a secret CIA building. He needed to know what it held. It could be the thing that saved his life. He was able to sneak up on an agent entering the building. He wasn't fond of killing but it was necessary. He stole the agent's badge and security card. He used them to enter the building. Many of the corridors of the building were empty. He hid when other people came around. He noticed that most of the people were traveling to their right. Justin followed their lead. He made a couple of turns till he found two men having a conversation. He hid to make sure he could hear their discussion.

"Are you sure about this? I hadn't heard about this change in the security detail."

"Yes, tonight is a big night. Walker and Larkin will be here in a couple of hours. The General wants to make sure that there is a fresh set of guards here. Hey, look at it this way, you get to leave early."

"You're right. That is definitely the right way to be thinking about it. Alright, let's make sure you have the correct pass code. Sooner you learn it the sooner I can leave."

Justin watched as the two went over the pass code. Once it was learned the two men left. Justin went over to the locked door. He typed in the code. The door opened and he found the Holy Grail.

A knock on the door shook Justin out of his thoughts. He looked over at the time. It was four o'clock in the morning. There was another knock. This time it was louder.

"Justin! It's me, Ellie. Open up."

He walked over to the door. He made sure to look like she had just woke him up. He reminded himself that he needed to gain Ellie's trust. His life depended on it. He opened the door to find a frantic Ellie. She stormed into the room.

"Ellie, what's wrong?"

"Tell me the truth. Did you really recognize Sarah?"

"Ellie, I already apologized for this. It was an honest mistake. Ellie, what's this all about?"

"This!" Ellie holds up a picture of Sarah and Bryce Larkin. "Was this Bruce Anderson?"

Justin made sure he looked like this hurt him. He needed Ellie to believe he didn't want to do this. "I'm sorry, Ellie, but yes, that was Bruce Anderson."

"I need you to tell me what you know about them. Please, I need the whole truth."

Justin wanted to smile. Things had gone exactly the way he wanted. The setup had gone perfectly. Now, it was time to reel Ellie in. Once Ellie was on his side, he could get the help he needed from Orion. Then he could focus on taking down Team Bartowski. After that, he would go after the Ring and the CIA. However, that could wait. The most important thing was right now.

"Alright, Ellie, I'll tell you the truth. I work for the CIA and I am here to save your brother's life."


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Alright, I'm back. Sorry this took so long. This is the last chapter of this story. The next story will be _Chuck vs the Sister_. I could probably come up with a few different excuses, but the main thing was I just didn't like how the second part of this chapter was coming out. I went through a few different versions before I wrote this one. I had to step away from the story to get a different look. This one finally clicked and flows better with how the first chapter of the next story begins. I am working to get that out before the weekend. There is also a couple of other things that I have been working on that I hope to be posting in the next week or so. Thanks to **mxpw** for all the suggestions and for betaing this chapter. Thank you all for continuing to read my stories.

Spoilers: Everything through _Chuck vs the Role Models_

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

**Chapter 7: A Mind is a a Terrible Thing**

_Chuck and Sarah's Apartment_

_7:45 in the morning._

Chuck felt like hell. His head felt like it used to after a frat party at Stanford except he didn't get to experience the joy of being drunk. He tried to shake the feeling off but that only made things worse. He had had headaches before when he flashed on too much information at the same time. This was a different type of headache altogether. Actually, it was more like a blinding migraine.

The flash had started off like any other flash with some unrelated picture of a bear. Then there were a couple of different passport photos of Sarah, rather Scarlett Anderson. The first photo of Sarah looked younger. She had red hair and wore glasses. If she had her hair in a bun, she could have looked like a twin of the librarian at his junior high. Chuck thought for a moment about sharing a fantasy he had about that librarian. Chuck reminded himself to focus on the flash. The next picture was of Sarah from about three months before they met. In the picture she had blonde hair. Then a list of the different locations she had used the alias. There were six European cities and a couple in the Middle East. Most of the missions had been from when she was younger, with a couple of missions right before she came to Burbank. The final thing he remembered seeing was Bryce and Sarah kissing. It was a video feed that seemed to go on a continual loop. The only thing that stopped it was Sarah slapping him.

His face still hurt from where she had slapped him. There was probably a bruise. Aside from the physical symptoms, he felt like hell because he had kept something from Sarah. He didn't outright lie to her but he didn't tell her everything either. Of course, he didn't even know if what he was thinking was actually something. It could just be in his head. He would tell her when she got back. Right now, he was still trying to process everything. She had asked if this had happened before and his first response was no. Honestly, he had never had a flash get stuck like that. However, there had been other issues. At those times, he had come up with excuses. His bout of dizziness when he did his flips against Alex, he excused as just doing too many flips despite never having that problem before. There were flashes that took longer to begin. He was always finding excuses. However, he was starting to think they were all connected. That worried him.

He wished his father and him had parted on better terms. The last time they spoke was in his apartment when he returned from Castle after he downloaded the Intersect 2.0. His father had not been happy. Words were exchanged that Chuck couldn't quite remember, but he remembered the feelings behind them. Chuck was upset at his father's disapproval. Chuck did remember the last words they exchanged.

"You're leaving again? Why?"

"Charles, I think it's best for me to leave before we say things that we can never take back."

"So you're just going to leave? Things get rough and you run? Same old dad."

"Son, I can't stay behind and watch you make the biggest mistake of your life. So many people sacrificed to help get the Intersect out of your head and now for you to just throw those sacrifices away, it is just too disappointing to watch."

With those last words, his dad went to see Ellie and Devon off for their honeymoon before he took off. His dad hadn't dropped off the face of the Earth this time. Ellie would receive phone calls and letters at least twice a month. Chuck would always tell Ellie that their dad was contacting him as well. Apparently their dad hadn't contradicted him to Ellie. It was one more lie to Ellie but he couldn't tell her about the falling out with their father. He couldn't give an excuse believable enough to explain it.

This was not helping his headache. He needed to try something different. He needed a shower. Maybe that would clear his head. He gathered a change of clothes and a towel. He went across the hall to the bathroom. He could hear the shower running. Chuck groaned, realizing that Morgan was in the shower. His best friend had a habit of taking marathon showers. He was surprised that he didn't hear Morgan singing. He loved his best friend but if he had to take a cold shower today, he would strangle him. He opened the door of the bathroom as he knocked.

"Hey, buddy, can you… Ah!" Chuck slammed the door shut as a female scream echoed through the hall. "Oh shit! I'm so sorry, Alex," Chuck tried to explain through the door.

Chuck walked away as fast as he could. He ended up in the living room.

"Hey, dude, what's with all the screaming?"

Chuck turned to see his best friend wearing a Buy More apron and holding a bowl in one hand and a whisk in the other.

"This is bad. So bad. So, so bad." Chuck knew he wasn't making any sense but his mind was going at warp speed.

Before Morgan could question Chuck, they both turned to see Alex walking in wearing a towel. She was looking at the ground and Chuck thought he saw her blushing. "Sorry, forgot my clothes."

The guys watched as she quickly picked up the clothes and went back to the bathroom. Morgan broke the silence. "Did you see Alex naked? Details."

Chuck couldn't answer. His mind was too busy watching his life flash before his eyes. Finally, Chuck thought of something to say or rather ask. "What is she doing here?"

"Oh, I thought you and Casey wanted her to stay here?" Morgan was looking at him with a confused look.

"No, buddy, what… -is… -she… -doing… -here?" Chuck gestured around the apartment. "She was supposed to be staying with Casey."

"Oh come on, man. She was already traumatized. Did you really want to do more damage by having her stay with Casey? Don't get me wrong, I love the big guy. There's no one else I would want if I was going to war, but the guy doesn't even have cable, much less the greatest collection of martial arts movies in the known world. Plus, she wanted to stay here even if Casey insisted on making sure the place was bugged for sound and video."

Chuck felt his blood turn cold. Casey was listening. Chuck Bartowski was a dead man. Without another word to Morgan, Chuck turned around and headed out the door. He had no idea what possessed him, but he went straight to Casey's apartment. If he was lucky Casey hadn't been listening. He knocked on the door.

"Enter." Chuck entered the apartment to find Casey sitting down, looking through the scope of an assault rifle pointed right at him. Chuck fell to the ground.

"Whoa, Casey it was a mistake. There is no need for violence!"

Casey stood up and put the rifle down. Chuck was surprised by the almost concerned look that crossed Casey's face. "Hey, Chuck, why so jumpy? I was just cleaning my guns."

"Yeah, right." Chuck was not fooled by Casey's innocent act.

"Why would I be upset? It's not like you did anything, right?"

"Casey, I swear I didn't know."

"You know if a couple of months ago this had happened I would have been angry. I would have hunted you down and snapped your little chicken neck, but not now. You are right I don't need to resort to violence."

"Wow, that's fantastic. I am glad that you are seeing that violence is not… -wait a second, why are you not upset?"

"Oh, I'm upset but, this anger is calmed by the knowledge that you still have to tell Walker."

Chuck tried to be nonchalant about this. "Oh, come on Casey. Sarah isn't like that."

"Please, Walker is still a woman. She will ask you one question. Your answer will determine just how deep of a hole you will be in. I know you well enough to know you will give the wrong answer."

Chuck felt like he was sweating. It must be hot in here. "How… -why… -um, what will the question be?"

"Did you like what you saw?" Chuck immediately thought of what he had seen. It wasn't much, a flash of a breast and Alex's rear. Okay, she had a nice butt. As soon as the thought came, Chuck's eyes widened and he met Casey's. Casey began to laugh. "You're a dead man, Chuck."

"Sarah is a spy. She is trained to control her emotions. She won't care if I found another woman attractive… -or not." Chuck added the last bit noticing Casey's scowl.

"Walker may be a spy but she is also a female. Like all females, she is concerned about how her looks compare to other the women that her boyfriend is looking at."

"Casey, that is unbelievably sexist."

"No, Chuck, that is reality. Women may concern themselves about looks but men are just as vain, except we compare ourselves to previous boyfriends' other skills." Chuck gave Casey a look clearly showing his disbelief. "Are you telling me that you haven't been comparing your 'spy skills' to Larkin or Shaw?" Chuck's face flushed. "Exactly. Walker will see right through you and judging from her file she'll come up with a creative punishment. I won't even have to lift a finger."

Chuck wanted to argue, but he thought back to earlier and he rubbed the spot where she had slapped him. He had said her first instinct was towards violence.

"What have you got there? Is that a bruise? Who gave that… Oh don't tell me that you and Walker have gotten even kinkier?"

"Huh? What? No, this was not anything sexual. We aren't complete sex fiends." Casey gave a clear grunt that Chuck translated as bull shit. "We're not! Actually, this is something I need to speak to you about."

Chuck went on to explain about everything. He told Casey about Cole's death, Sarah being a suspect, Sarah's previous alias, Justin, and about the flash.

Casey seemed to ponder all of this for a moment before he spoke. "So let me get this straight, there is a person out there who knows Sarah from a previous alias. This same person also happens to have insinuated himself in your sister's life. Walker happens to also be under investigation for murder and my daughter is being followed. All of this is happening within a twenty-four hour period and instead of coming to me immediately you two spent the night fucking. Tell me, how are you and Walker not sex fiends?"

Chuck stumbled on a response. "Sure, when you say it like that, it looks bad. That's not the point."

"It isn't? From where I am standing, I am starting to feel like Team Bartowski's fat kid again, except now it's high school and I'm not only the last one to know, I'm also the only one not having sex."

Chuck looked confused at that last part. "Okay, sorry about that but let's focus on the here and now. Can you pull up surveillance from the party?"

The two went over to the computer on Casey's desk. Casey entered a few keys and was able to pull up video footage from the party. There were four different views so they each took two. Finally Casey spoke up. "I think I found something: unidentified Caucasian male speaking to Ellie and now Sarah. Here, see if you flash."

Chuck turned to look at the picture and was assaulted by images. First, was a picture of a pie, followed by a picture of a CIA dossier page his name was Justin Reynolds. Next came a picture of him and Ted Roark, suddenly a video was playing of Sarah's red test. That's where the flash stuck. Chuck couldn't make it stop. Over and over again, he saw Eve Shaw getting shot. He swore he heard Casey yell his name in the distance, before…

* * *

_Justin's Hotel Room_

_4:47 in the morning._

Ellie had been sitting down in silence for at least five minutes. She didn't know what to believe. Justin just told her he worked for the CIA and her brother was in danger. This was the last thing she thought she would hear when she came over. He was staring at her. She felt his gaze on her. There were too many thoughts running through her head. If he was lying about being in the CIA, he was dangerous and possibly crazy. She was starting to have second thoughts on coming to his hotel room all alone and no one knew where she was. If he was telling her the truth, then there was so much more going on in her brother's life than she knew. How many lies had she told him? There was also the option that his brother was in danger, but from Justin, which brought her back to the initial thought of this being a mistake. There was also the question of how Sarah knowing Bryce fit in with all of this.

"Ellie, are you okay?"

"How am I supposed to be okay, Justin? You have been lying to me since the moment we met and now you want me to believe that you are here to protect my brother who is in trouble? How am I supposed to trust you?"

She was surprised by how cool Justin seemed to be. He didn't seem to be too bothered by her outburst. "Ellie, I know this is hard to believe. It wasn't the way I wanted to tell you. Hell, I probably shouldn't be telling you, but you deserve to know the truth. I think you can handle the truth. Your brother is a CIA agent."

"No, you're lying. My brother couldn't be in the CIA. He would have told me." Ellie felt her eyes starting to water up. She couldn't believe her brother would have kept a secret that big. Justin walked over to his desk and pulled a big file out.

"Here is a copy of your brother's CIA file. Look, Ellie, I'm not trying to upset you. You should know that your brother is a hero. He has saved countless numbers of people. He is special. He is someone you can be proud of."

Tears were now flowing down Ellie's face. She found herself wanting to believe that her brother was everything that Justin was saying. She opened the file and began to read it. She was amazed at all the things it was claiming her brother had done. He really was a hero. There were surveillance photos of her brother on these missions. There was never mention of Charles Bartowski, but instead of a Charles Carmichael. Most people wouldn't know it but Chuck had been named after their mother's grandfather on her mother's side. Ellie's grandmother's maiden name had been Carmichael. Since she and Chuck rarely talked about their mother, not many people knew the origin of where he had gotten his name. There were also mentions of Sarah and John. According to the files, they were some kind of super spy team.

"Is all of this true?" She looked at Justin with an unbelievable feeling of hope. What she was hoping for, she wasn't entirely sure.

"Every single thing. Your brother has done amazing things."

"How did this happen? When did this start? What does this have to do with Bryce and Sarah? Justin, you have to tell me everything. You know what? I need to talk to my brother."

Ellie tried to walk away but Justin grabbed her. "Ellie! You can't do that. You will get him killed."

"Are you threatening my brother's life?"

Justin let go of her and held his hands up. "No, Ellie, I am trying to save your brother's life. I need your help, though. If you tell him, Sarah will find out and if she does, she will kill your brother!"

Ellie felt her mind go blank at Justin's accusation. "What?"

"Ellie, Sarah Walker is a double agent working for an organization called the Ring. She has gotten involved with her last three partners and they have all ended up dead. I'm afraid I may be too late and she has already done something to kill your brother."

"What? That's insane. Sarah is in love with my brother!" She didn't know who she was trying to convince. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.

"Ellie, it's true. I know you don't want to hear it, but you have to. I need your help to save your brother."

"Why not just warn him? Why use me?"

"Ellie, it is a well known fact that your brother is in love with Agent Walker. It was the intent of the CIA at first for him to fall in love with her."

"What do you mean?" Her head was spinning. She needed something to make sense.

"You wanted to know how your brother became part of the CIA, well; he was sent a special package by Bryce Larkin."

"Wait, Bryce was a spy, too?" This was becoming too much.

"Yes, actually, can I see that disk you brought? I think I know what it is." Ellie handed him the disk and watched as he put it into his computer. "There was a mission a couple of years ago where important information was supposed to have been put on a disk by a professor at Stanford. Agent Walker had told her superiors that it had been destroyed."

Justin opened up the file on the disk and it was a list of names. She noticed Bryce Larkin's name and then down the screen was her brother's. Justin must have seen it as well because he clicked on Chuck's name. She sat in stunned silence as she saw a man that she had hated for so long giving an impassioned speech to save her brother from a life forced to be a CIA agent. She felt the tears in her eyes as they flowed down her cheeks. The video ended and Ellie sat silent for a minute before she spoke again.

"All this time, I hated Bryce Larkin. I don't think I've ever hated someone like I hated him, but now I find out he was trying to save my brother. What am I supposed to do about that? He's dead. He…" Ellie stood up and began to pace. Something clicked in her mind. It hadn't occurred to her till now. "Wait, Bryce was supposed to have died when Sarah first came into my brother's life so how was he visiting her a year later? He didn't die did he? He's still alive?"

"No he is dead. He just didn't die when it was reported that he died. He died the night you were married."

Ellie sat down and had her head in her hands. She shook her head for a moment before she looked up at Justin. "Bryce died the night I was married. I don't understand, you said Sarah was involved with her last three partners; Bryce included, and killed them. She was at the wedding. How could she have killed Bryce?"

She was desperate for something to make sense. She felt her whole world had been knocked off its axis. Her brother was a spy, Bryce wasn't the villain and now Sarah was a killer. None of this seemed real. It couldn't be. She was trying to hold onto anything that resembled normal. Sarah was at her wedding and was dancing with her brother. That was true. That was real.

Justin sat in front of her. He clasped her hands in his. "Ellie, I didn't want to show you this but you need to see it." He stood up and walked over to his desk. He picked up a file. He took a look inside before he handed it to Ellie.

Ellie opened the file to see the first picture and gasped out loud. It was a picture of Bryce Larkin dead. She could see the spot on his body where he had been shot. She turned to the next set of pictures. It was a series of pictures of Sarah dancing and kissing a scruffy, dark-haired man. There was also a picture of a disheveled Sarah exiting a hotel room. The next picture was the same man lying half-naked on a bed with a bullet hole between his eyes. She looked at the next couple of photos of a man she had seen on occasion when she went by the Buy More or the Orange Orange. She didn't know the guy's name, but there were whispers, mainly from Jeff and Lester, that Sarah was seeing a new "stallion". She assumed this man might have been the guy. The next couple of photos were of the same man being dragged from a river, dead. She closed the folder and noticed it was getting wet. She realized now that she was crying. She looked up at Justin. "How? Why?"

She knew she didn't make sense, but Justin seemed to understand. He took the file from her hands before he sat down in front of her again. "Ellie, I'm going to tell you the whole truth, but first it is best that we start with this: your brother has a virus that is going to destroy his mind unless we can find your father."

"What? How do you know this? How is my father involved?" Ellie hadn't thought she could be more shaken till Justin mentioned her father.

"Your father designed a special program called the Intersect that can be downloaded into a person's mind. However, his latest version was corrupted and a virus was planted in it. This virus is slowly destroying Chuck's mind. He will be experiencing seizures, blackouts, migraines, memory loss and loss of some of his motor skills. He will find that some of the simplest tasks will become difficult and nearly impossible to do."

Ellie looked at Justin for a moment. "How do you know this?"

"Well, because I downloaded the Intersect, too."


End file.
